Motorhead guitarist Michael 'Wurzel' Burston has died at 61

Motörhead guitarist Michael ‘Würzel’ Burston has died at the age of 61, according to the Guardian. Würzel passed away yesterday after suffering from heart disease.

A former army corporal, the guitarist joined the Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilminster-fronted Motörhead in 1984 and rapidly established himself as a fan favorite thanks to his larger-than-life personality and devotion to the metal cause. “I’m not sure why we sound like we do,” Würzel told the Boston Herald in 1991. “Maybe it’s because I hate my guitar and play it accordingly. But there’s always something to be said for banging a chord that hits you in the back of the head.

Würzel played on a string of Motörhead albums, including 1986’s Orgasmatron and 1991’s 1916, before leaving in 1996. The guitarist had recently formed a new band, Leader of Down.

You can see Würzel performing the track “Hellraiser” with Motörhead on the Tonight Showbelow: